Crossing signal



' w. JONES cnossnw 51mm,

Filed May 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Shae? l Oct. 2 1929. 'w. JONES 1,133,884

CROSSING SIGNAL Filed May 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l h Mh R RN PatentedGet. 29, 1929 WILLIAM JONES, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS CROSSING SIGNALApplication filed May :29,

This invention relates to crossing signals and more particularly toamechanically operated crossing signal.

An importantobject ofthe invention is to provide in a device of thischaracter'a simple and readilyconstructible crossing signal havingmeansfor shifting'a signal element from a position atone side of a highway to,a position directly over .thecenter .of the highway to give a warningsignal. v

A further object oftheinvention is to pro vide a-novel and improvedcontrol means for such a signalling device whereby the movements of thesignal may be governed by a passing train.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of .20 my invention and wherein Figure 1 is aplan viewshowing signalling mechanism constructed 1n accordance with myinventlon;

Figure 2' is a sectlon on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure '3 isan enlarged detail view on "the line 3-3 of Figure 1; s

Figure 4 is a" section on the line 1-4 of Figure 3; t

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a detail viewishowing a spring structure which may beemployed'in any of the flexible elements to prevent breakage thereof inevent of simultaneous operatic 5 between their upper ends a lever 13,one end of which extends over the"highway. The standards 12 have,projecting'therefrom at I the opposite side thereof from the highwayand adjacent their upper ends a pair of arms 14 which are connected tothe corresponding 1928; Serial No. 253M188.

end of the lever 13by springs 15, the combined strength of which is justinsuflicient to lift the opposite end of the lever. last named end ofthe lever "has at, its terminal a stop 17 and upon the lever islongitudinally shiftably mounted a signal element 18 at presentdisclosedas including a bell 19. This signal element has a roller 20 engaging thelever by means of which itis supported. It will be obvious that iftheouter end of the lever ishigher than the pivot, this signal will movetoward the pivotofthe lever and that if the outer end .is.depressed,thesignal will move toward the stop 17 A hood 21 is preferably providedover the lever to" protect both the lever and the signal from theweather.

An operating lever 22 is pivoted between the lower ends of the standards12. Trheouter' end of this lever has its downward movement limited by astop 23 and the inner end thereof is constantly urged .upwardly bysprings 24. The combined action of the springs 24 and 15 is more thansufficient to cause an elevation of the signal .end iof the lever 13 andthe inner end ofthelever 22. Between the lever 22 and the lever 13extends a prop 25. the upperend of which'is notched to re: ceivethelever 13. .It will be obvious that with. the inner endfof the lever22 unrestrained, this lever will move upwardly, so

that the prop 25 engages the lever 13 to force 1 the signal bearing endthereof upwardly and cause the signal to move'toward the stand- I ards12. The extremity of the innerend of The the lever is formed with a camface'25 which 7 is downwardly disposed.

Opposingthe inner end of thelever 22 is therein an opening 29,for thepassage of the shank 30 of the latch. The latch 31 extends through anvopening 32 formed in the inner 33 opposing the cam face 25 of the lever22. Aspring 34 extends between the carrier plate 27 and the latch andconstantly urges the latch outwardly, this outward movement bewall ofthe casing 26 and has a beveled face 1 .lever has passed when the latchwill again spring out and hold the lever in its depressed 7 positionuntil the latch isdrawn.

Depresion of thelever 22 will, of course, release the support affordedby the prop 25 so that the signal bearing end of the'lever 13 maydepress and the signal 18 m'oved to the outer end thereof. In thisposition, the signal will remain until the latch 33 is withdrawn, againpermitting the springs 24 of g the lever 22 to come into play and-assistthe springs 15 to restore the lever 13 to its normal pull is exerted inthe opposite direction to the position. s

Beneath the lever 22 extends one end of a shaft 36, which extendsbeneaththe right= of-way and is mounted in a suitable bearing 37 at theopposite side thereof. This shaft.

beneath the lever has a normally horizontally extending arm 38 which isconnected with the inner end of the lever 22 by aflexible element 39.Opposing the outer end of the latchcasing is a second shaft'4O whichlikewise extends transversely. of the right-of-way 10 andbeneath thesame. This shaft has in opposition to the end ofthe latch casing upperand lower vertical arms 41 and 42 wl1ich are flexibly connected at 43 tothe end of a shank 44 produced upon the carrier plate 27.

It will be obvious that rotation of the shaft in either direction willcause a pull to be exerted through one or the other of the flexibleelements 43 upon the carrier plate so that this carrier plate iswithdrawn against the action of the spring 28, with the result that thelatch 31 is withdrawn and; the lever 22 released. At the far side of theright-ofway from the signal mechanism, the shaft 40 in a has securedthereto an upstanding striker arm 44 adapted to be engaged by a suitablestriker element 45 carried by a trainpassing over the. right-of-way. Atthe same side of theright-of-way and at the opposite side of the highwayfrom the shaft 4O and'at a suitable distance from this highway, a secondstriker, arm 46 is pivoted.

' The shaft'36 at the sameside of the track is equipped with adownwardly extending arm-47 which is connected to the lower end of thestriker element 46, which is in the form of a leverpivoted intermediateitsends',

V by a flexible element 48 and is further con: "nected to the strikerelement 44 of theshaft 40by a flexible element-49..- V At the oppositeside of the right of way from the striker element44 the shaft 40 isequipped with upper and lower vertically extending'arms 50 and 51.. Theshaft 36aft the same side ofthe track is equipped with upper and. lowervertically extending arms 52.and

53. IAtthesa-me side 'ofthe highway-11 but 57 'to the upper arm 50 ofthe shaft 40. The

lower arms 51 and 53 of the shafts 40 and 36 are connected by a flexibleelement 58. 7

It will be'ObViOusthat if a train is approaching in the direction ofthearrow of Figure 1, the operating element '45 thereof will engage withthe striker lever54, so that a held by the latch and the signal lever 13is re' leased so that the signalmay move ina position over the highway11. I i

As the traiircontiiiues its movement, the

operating member comes into engagement with the striker lever 56,with'theresult that a pull upon the cable 57 in the directionof movementof the train results. This causes the shaft 40 to ber'rotated,withdrawing the latch 31. At the same time, the cable 58; by pullingupon the lower arm 53 of the shaft; causes a rotation of this shaft inthe opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 3,so'that the flexibleelement 3 9 is slackened and no resistance to upwardmove ment of the lever 22 may result. If the train I is moving. in theopposite direction to that indicated by the arrow on Figure 1,-itengages the striker member 46 and through the cable 48 and arm 47,causes a rotation of the shaft- 36 in the direction of the arrowofFigure 3. Having crossed the 'right-of-way, the operating element of theshaft comes into engagement with the striker element 44 of the shaft 40,causing this shaft to-rotate and the latch 31 to be withdrawn. At thesame time, through the cable connection at 49,the shaft 36 is rotated toslack'en the fiexible element ios iis

39v connecting the same whatever- 22."

, rii ice ior s or' are Sp 1gs59 are prov l d f le t irg t strikerelements 46, 54 and 56 to their normal position. In the flexible element49 is in. serted a: spring cushioning structure which serves to maintainthese. striker arms i'n their normalposition. and which preventsbreakage of the flexible element 49 in event the striker elements 54and44 should be simultaneously engaged. This structure only necessarywhere the signal'is employed in connection with the'double track.

' It will be obvious from theforegoing that v signal aparatus of thischaracter may be very readily produced and ins alled and since it issimple in its construction, will require little attention to maintainthe same in proper working order.

- It will also be obvious that the construction hereinbefore set forthis capable of a certain range of change and modification withoutmaterially departing from the spirit of the invention and I accordinglydo not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafterclaimed.

I claim 1. In a railway crossing signal for the intersections ofhighways with railway rightof-ways, a lever pivoted near one end andhaving its opposite end extending over the highway and normallyinclining downwardly and outwardly, a signal mounted upon said end ofthe lever and shiftable by gravity from end to end thereof, a propnormally maintaining the lever in the position where said end extendsupwardly and outwardly over the highway, means operated by a trainapproaching the intersection for withdrawing the prop, means forlatching the prop in withdrawn position, means operated by the trainafter passing the highway for releasing said latch, and means urging theprop to its leversupporting position.

2. In a railway crossing signal for the intersections of highways withrailway rightof-ways, a lever pivoted near one end and having itsopposite end extending over the highway and normally incliningdownwardly and outwardly, a signal mounted upon said end of the leverand shiftable by gravity from end to end thereof, a prop engaging theouter end of the first named lever adjacent the pivot thereof, aspring-pressed lever engaging the opposite end of the prop and normallyshifting the prep to a position where its outer end is upwardly andoutwardly inclined over the highway, means operated by a trainapproaching the intersection for withdrawing the lever, means forlatching the lever in withdrawn position, and means operated by thetrain after passing over the highway for releasing said latch.

3. In a railway crossing signal for the intersections of highways withrailway rightof-ways, a lever pivoted near one end and having itsopposite end extending over the highway and normally incliningdownwardly and outwardly, a signal mounted upon said end of the leverand shiftable by gravity from end to end thereof, a prop engaging theouter end of the first named lever adj acent the pivot thereof, a springpressed lever engaging the opposite end of the prop and normallyshifting the prop to a position where its outer end is upwardly andoutwardly inclined over the highway, a shaft rotated by a trainapproaching the intersection, said lever is withdrawn, means forlatching the lever in its withdrawn position, and means operated by atrain after passing the highway for releasingsaid latch. I

4:. In a railway crossing signal for the intersections of highways withrailway rightof-ways, a lever pivoted near one end and havingitsopposite end extending over the highway and normally incliningdownwardly and outwardly, a signal mounted upon said end of the leverand shiftable by gravity from end to end thereof, a prop engaging theouter end of the first named lever adjacent the pivot thereof, aspring-pressedlever engaging the opposite end of the prop and normallyshifting the prop to a position where its outer end is upwardly andoutwardly inclined over the highway, a shaft rotated by a trainapproaching the intersection, said shaft having an arm, a connectionbetween the arm and second lever whereby the second lever is withdrawn,means for latching the leverin its withdrawn position, and meansoperated by a train after passing the highway for releasing said latch,said train operated means being duplicated at opposite sides of theright-of-way.

5. In a railway crossing signal for the intersections of highways withrailway right- -of-ways, a lever pivoted near one end and having itsopposite end extending over the highway and normally incliningdownwardly and outwardly, a signal mounted upon said end of the leverand shiftable by gravity from end to end thereof, a prop engaging theouter end of the first named lever adjacent the pivot thereof, a sprin-pressed lever engaging the opposite end of the prop and normallyshifting the prop to a position where its outer end is upwardly andoutwardly inclined over the highway a shaft rotated by a. trainapproaching the intersection, said shaft having an arm, a connectionbetween the arm and second lever whereby the second lever is withdrawn,means for latching the lever in its withdrawn position, means operatedby a train after passing the highway for releasin said latch, said latchbeing springpressed and the train operated means for releasing the latchincluding a rotatable shaft having oppositely directed arms, andflexible connections between said arms and the latch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix m signature.

WILLIAM JONES.

shaft having an arm, a connection between the arm and second leverwhereby the second

